His Soft Fur
● XII ●

My eyes opened slowly when I heard a steady beeping sound. I was waking up in a room that wasn't mine. My eyes were towards the ceiling, but when I looked around, I saw the furniture, and the...there was a counter with blankets and a few clothes.

My hand felt warm.

Ty was...he was holding my hand.

"What..."

I don't know what happened. It was so quiet. That's not what I remembered.

Ty's hand tightened in my hand as he got closer to me. He looked so distraught and worried for me, yet I didn't know why....I was confused...

Did I...

Did I get hurt?

"You got shot." He said quietly.

Oh.

I sighed miserably and rubbed my face with my other hand. "I'm so grounded." I groaned.

Forget almost getting killed. When my parents get a hold of me, it's over.

"Is that all you care about?" He asked.

"I know I..." I don't want to think about what happened right now. "Ty, I'm so sorry."

"For getting shot?"

"For getting in the way." I corrected him. "I thought I...I just moved without thinking and I didn't realize I could've gotten hurt."

He didn't know what to say to me. His jaw had slightly dropped as he stared at my face. "You're already in the hospital."

That's true.

"I'm sorry." I said again.

I can't imagine how he feels right now.

"Please don't..." Ty looked so uncomfortable. "I shouldn't...ask you to..." He didn't want to tell me what to do.

He was starting to panic.

I tried to sit up but I felt a dull pain to my stomach. There was something that kept pressure on me so it was hard to move. Ty's hand just squeezed mine harder.

"I don't mean to stress you out." I said, almost out if breath from trying to move. "You can ask me to not be stupid, you know." I smiled at him. "It's for my own good."

He didn't want to smile, but he did. "I was so worried."

"I'm fine." I assured him. "Except for this massive pain in my side." I tried to sit up again but I barely had the strength.

"You were hit with a silver bullet." He said.

I didn't move for a second. I didn't actually believe he was serious. "You're joking." I didn't believe him. He just stared at me. "You're telling me that myth is real?" I asked.

"Something has to be able to kill us."

I still didn't believe him. "But silver bullets? Really? That's just...so obvious." I shook my head and he started to laugh.

"Guess those hunters know the stories, too."

Well apparently if they have silver bullets in their guns.

I leaned my head back on the pillow. I had just woken up but I felt so tired. I sighed again as I shook my head. To think I had one of those silver bullets in my side. It hurt like hell to get shot, I don't want it to happen again.

"You saved Jackie." Ty said. "If you hadn't ran in, they would've killed him."

"Is he okay?"

"You're the one in the hospital." He was worried about me more.

I wanted to ask him to get in to bed with me, but he's too big. It's like he continues to grow more and more. I smiled at him even though he was worried again. I've never had anyone other than family worry for me. It's a different kind of feeling.

I liked it.

It's nice to know that Ty was worried about me.

I was worried about him, too.

"Thanks for being here." I said to him. "If you could stay when parents come-"

"No," Ty let go of my hand quickly. "You're in for a real one. I can't be here for that." He got up, like it was about to happen already.

"Ty-"

"I'll come back when your dad doesn't want to kill everything in sight." He said and he was out the door.

I'm in so much trouble.

I know my parents are worried for me, but they're mad. I know it. I got shot because I was somewhere where I didn't belong. And that was just hours later after I gave my mom my word that I wouldn't do something stupid like go on one of Mr. Conrod's construction sites.

I dreaded the moment my parents came in to the hospital room.

I got the yelling of a life time. Obviously they wanted to make sure I was okay, but I foolishly answered to their worry. Once it was established that I was okay, they went at it. I don't know who wanted to ground me the most. My dad tends to throw it around more, so when Mom said I was never leaving the house again, I knew it was set in stone like the ten commandments.

I'm going to have to be an absolute angel for that to change.

“You are very lucky that those wolves didn’t kill you.” Dad said, and he wasn't so polite about it. He already has high blood pressure. I think my injury is about to set him over the edge.

Yet, that's not what I focused on.

“Someone was killed?” I asked, looking at him.

Who was killed...? I couldn't...

“Two of the hunters got mauled." Dad was more than just stressed.

He probably thought that was me.

"Animal Control can never find these wolves. Now they killed two people."

"I'm..." I wasn't going to apologize again. I just played with my fingers as I stared down at them. "What is Mr. Conrod going to do to me?"

I was trespassing.

This is all my fault.

Mom and Dad looked at each other. And it wasn't a happy glance. Am I getting arrested? They hadn't said anything for a few seconds.

"He's paying the medical bills."

My eyes narrowed, I was in disbelief. "He's what?" Why would he?

"It's to keep our mouths shut." Dad said.

No lawsuit. No one gets penalized.

Clean slate.

Dad wasn't happy. This is the second time that I risked his job. He's certainly not happy that I'm doing it for a few animals and trees. All he wants to do is pay the bills and make sure we have a roof over our heads, and I haven't exactly been considerate about that. Conrod is going to make his life hell.

"I can't." He sighed as he turned away to leave the room.

I felt awful for what I did. I know I upset my parents, but Dad couldn't even look at me. Was he that mad? Mom sat down next to me quietly and took my hand.

"We're glad you're okay." She just wanted me to know.

After all the yelling and plans to keep me grounded for eternity, she wants me to know that they were scared for me.

"I don't want him to have an aneurysm." Now I was stressed.

"His only son got shot and he might lose his job." Mom said. "I'll be surprised if he doesn't have an aneurysm." She sighed to herself.

"Mom, I'm sorry. I just...I didn't want anything to happen."

"You're just like me." She said, though I wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not. "I almost wish you didn't have such a big heart to love everything in sight." She smiled at me weakly. "You need to watch out for yourself more."

"I know." I looked away.

I guess I never grew out of my "sharing is caring" phase. Sometimes it's a good thing. But I tend to put things above myself and that's not always good.

Like now.

I cared about a pack of wolves more than myself.

My parents are terrified.

"Get some sleep." Mom moved my hair out of my face and kissed my forehead. "Don't worry about your dad. I'll take care of him." She let go of my hand. "We'll be here first thing in the morning." She smiled at me.

That calmed me down a bit more.

My nurse told me I have to walk around. I didn't want to because I get short of breath. I stayed in my room and took a couple steps around but that was all I could manage.

Ty came to see me again, after everything calmed down. He held on to me and helped me stand and walk around my hospital room. The exercise was good.

Apparently I was out for three days.

So it was a big deal when I wasn't dead.

"How do you feel?"

"Like my stomach is in knots, but not like...the good way." I felt this uncomfortable pressure because of my wound.

"What's the good way?" Ty asked me.

I smiled at his question. "You know, like when you imagine things and get a little turned on."

"Can't relate." His response was quick, like he wasn't embarrassed by my comment.

His cheeks were turning a faint red though.

I could only notice because I was staring at him. I could look at his face all night. I began to smile as I looked up at him, and he had this look in his eyes like he always did.

He'd risk it all for me.

I know it's this wolf thing or whatever, but I liked seeing that in the way he looked at me.

"You got taller." I was looking up at him. "You're almost as big as your older brothers." My fingers tightened over his arms.

"It comes with the shifting." He was shy about it.

He's changed so much in a short amount of time. This quiet boy who doesn't know when he's being funny grew taller than me in a matter of weeks. He can't wear my clothes anymore. His own shirt barely fit.

Ty helped me sit down on the hospital bed. I took a deep breath when I could, but it hurt my side because of my wound. I laid down in bed and that helped the pain more.

Ty looked so worried for me.

"I like you." I said as I looked at his face.

I like a lot of things about him. I like how quiet he is, not because he's shy, but because he just doesn't want to talk a lot. I like how I can look into his dark eyes and see how much he likes me. I like how much restraint he has.

"I like you, too." He said to me quietly.

I like that he likes me. And it might be an understatement for him, but I still like it.

He came closer to me kiss me, and everything just felt right in the world. He held my hands and didn't let go. I liked holding on to him. I liked it when he kissed me. He's always been nice and gentle with me, this is no different. His hand moved to my face, and I felt his thumb caress my cheek.

Thank God I'm not hooked up to the monitor.

My heart was fluttering with every kiss. He took my breath away so easily.

I almost forgot where we were. He didn't though. He has the most restraint out of both of us.

He paused, his forehead pressed to mine as he breathed heavily with me. He wasn't...he's still worried about me. I'm okay, but he's still frightened.

He has a right to be.

"I'll see you tomorrow." He's trying to control himself.

With everything that's happened, I wasn't going to push it.

He kissed me again, his lips gently pressing to mine before he pulled away just a second later. My hands let go of his so he could get up and leave.

Now it was just me in the hospital room. The inevitable was going to happen, I had no choice but to reflect on my actions.

I'm grounded.

Sure I'm on bed rest, but I'm grounded. I can't drive, I can't go anywhere except to school, I can't have friends over unless it's to only do homework.

I'm not surprised.

I deserve it.

So I was happy when Ty snuck in to spend time with me. I was so lonely though it's been one day. It was late at night, my parents were probably asleep.

I couldn't sleep on my side. I was laying flat on my back. If I move the wrong way, I'll feel it. Ty had his arm around me, his hand resting over my bandages. I hadn't realized this until a while later, but I feel like he was trying to protect me. I don't know from what, but that's what he was doing.

He didn't know that he was doing it.

I bet it's an instinct of his.

"You should sleep." I said quietly, my hand touching his face.

"I can't." He sighed.

"I'm okay."

"I'm not."

The worry was keeping him up. He has to protect me.

I moved closer to him to feel his warmth under the blanket. He didn't stop me when I got closer to him. I could feel his face pressing to mine, his cheek against mine. I felt him breathe with me, almost like we were in sync.

When I breathe, he does.

When I move, he does.

"If you can't sleep, then..." I turned slightly towards him to kiss him.

His hand moved up to my neck slowly before I felt his palm resting on my face. He kissed me softly and slowly, making me ache for much more. If I had the strength, I would move on him, but for right now I was comfortable.

He kept me warm.

And he kept kissing me and kissing me.

I lost my breath easily. I had to pull away to breathe. His face nuzzled into my neck, and he pulled the blanket up higher so he could be under it. His arm moved again, and I felt his hand over my bandages at my side.

“Will you stay tonight?” I asked quietly.

It's already two in the morning, he might as well stay.

There was a loud wolf howl outside. Ty didn't shift in bed when we heard the sound. I expected him to get up and look to see which brother it was, but he hadn't moved away from me.

Then there was another howl.

And another.

Ty sighed, annoyed with the sound of his brothers calling out to him. That's clearly what it was.

“What do they want?” I asked him.

“To know if you're okay." He answered quietly, sounding like he was already drifting off.

I didn't think his brothers cared that much about me. Then I remembered that I saved one of the youngest by taking a bullet for him. I don't know what it meant, but it has to be a big deal to them if they want to know if I was okay.

The howling quieted down and Ty was already asleep.

I felt calmer with him next to me.

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